Bowling Is A Hit With The Entire Family

And when you add conversation, fun and affordability you`ve not only got a sport, you`ve got the makings for a family outing.

The sport is bowling. And its days as an adults-only game played in smoke- filled alleys are gone along with the old-fashioned score-keeping pads.

Bowling is marketed today in full-service recreation centers that offer billiards, video arcades, family leagues, birthday party packages, and automatic scoring for those who don`t know how to keep track of all the strikes and spares. Most even have free children`s play rooms staffed by attendants.

Their motto: Something for everyone.

``Bowling is good for families because 2-to-82 year olds can do it,`` said June Llewellyn, a teaching pro at Don Carter All Star Lanes in Sunrise.

Injuries are rare and beginning is as simple as rolling a ball. In short, families can walk in to play their first game and still have fun.

Dan and Lisa Ritchie, of Hollywood, bowled one recent Sunday morning with their children, Jennifer, 9, and Roger, 13, while 1/2-month-old Stephanie watched from her stroller.

``As far as sports go there`s not a lot we can do together as a family,`` Dan Ritchie said. ``This is something we can do and have fun.``

The Ritchies usually bowl about five games together every Sunday at University Bowl in Davie where they take advantage of a special family rate which costs them $8 an hour or two hours for $14. That cuts their usual family bowling cost almost in half.

The family special runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.

``There aren`t too many things out there a family can afford to do. A movie runs you $4 to $5 a person just to get in,`` Lisa Ritchie said.

Besides family specials, many of Broward`s 18 bowling centers offer family and children leagues.

Dan Ritchie said he likes bowling because it`s one sport that allows the family to talk while playing.

``When you`re working during the week, there`s not much time to be together,`` Dan Ritchie said. ``When we`re here there doesn`t seem to be that generation gap. It is just having fun.``

Bowling also is popular with children in Broward. With 3,300 youth members, the Broward County Junior Bowling Association is the largest chapter in the state.

Jennifer Ritchie said children like bowling because it`s fun.

``And I`m good at it,`` she said. ``Today I beat my high score.``

Rather than compete against each other, Dan and Lisa Ritchie, who both bowl in leagues, said family members strive to improve their personal bests.

Baby Stephanie can try for her first strike at around age 2 in bumper bowl or tiny tot bowl. For toddlers, bowling centers block the gutters -- or channels as managers call them now -- to keep the ball on the lane.

Parents place a ball on the foul line so toddlers can shove it toward the pins.

``Kids like bumper bowling because they know they`re always going to knock at least some of the pins down,`` said Eleanor Livesay, secretary-treasurer of the Broward County Junior Bowling Association.

Managers of bowling centers like the pint-sized bowling because it is another way to persuade families to trade their beach balls for bowling balls, Livesay said.

``The younger we get the kids (interested), the more likely it is we`ll keep them in the sport as adults,`` she said.

Without a family special, bowling can price some families off the lanes. A family of four can easily spend $15 bowling, not including snacks or shoe rentals.

Costs vary among bowling centers, but most average about $1 a game per person. Children and adult rates are the same. Because they reserve lanes at peak times and usually provide prizes for high scorers, leagues are more expensive. They usually average $10-15 a person for three games. Family leagues usually cost about $5 less.

Bowling league coordinators recommend that families rent children`s bowling shoes. The reason is simple: a child`s feet grow too fast to make buying shoes economical. It costs about $1.25 to rent shoes.

Bowling centers provide the balls, which range from 6 to 16 pounds. You also can bring your own.

Snack bars are common at bowling lanes. Newer centers provide lane-side phones for ordering food. The food is then delivered so bowling can continue without interruption.

Livesay said centers don`t have age limitations for children to bowl without supervision, but she advised parents to use their judgment in deciding whether children are mature enough to bowl alone.